SLUH erupts in third period against De Smet to claim Challenge Cup title
Photo by Rick Ulreich
Joe Winkelmann remembers what it was like to skate off the Scottrade Center ice with tears in his eyes and dejection in his heart.
The St. Louis U. High senior forward wasn’t going to relive that moment again.
Winkelmann scored a back-breaking shorthanded goal midway through the third period to help the Junior Billikens to a 4-0 win over De Smet in the Mid-States Club Hockey Association Challenge Cup championship game Tuesday.
SLUH, which lost to CBC in the title game each of the last three years, captured its second title to go along with a crown in 2013.
The Jr. Bills wiped out the memory of three successive runner-up finishes with one strong 45-minute team effort.
SLUH (28-1) won its final 19 games by a combined score of 120-12.
“The past three years, leaving this building with a heavy heart with losses, I thought this night might never come,” said Winkelmann, who led the Jr. Bills with 26 goals. “To do this my senior year, in my last game, it’s very special.”
The Jr. Bills broke open a close game with shorthanded tallies by Winkelmann and Patrick Simoncic in a span of 44 seconds.
De Smet goalie William Oliver flummoxed SLUH time and time again with one highlight-reel save after another before the shorthanded flurry pushed the lead to 3-0.
“In the past, it’s been so disappointing, such a bitter feeling,” junior SLUH defenseman Christian Berger said. “Coming down here, I kind of got that feeling again. But this is so satisfying.”
Berger helped crack the Oliver mystery by converting on a 2-on-1 with 20 seconds left in the second period to break a scoreless tie.
Senior Kevin Einig put the game away, scoring on a blast from the slot with 2 minutes and 14 seconds left.
Winkelmann, one of the top players in the league, epitomized the Jr. Bills' early frustrations. He hit the goalpost twice and was also robbed by Oliver from close range on two occasions.
Like his teammates, he was beginning to wonder if championship was just not in the cards.
“It was frustrating,” Winkelmann said. “I can’t praise (Oliver) enough. We had to work and work to get anything past him.”
SLUH goalie Brendan Rasch made 13 saves in recording his 14th shutout.
The Jr. Bills, who outshot De Smet 34-13, dominated the league throughout the season and carried the tag of team to beat into the playoffs.
But they also were the top seed heading into postseason play last year, only to lose to CBC 4-1 in the title game.
The Cadets, the four-time defending champions, beat SLUH 5-2 and 5-1 in the other title showdowns.
“We never lost confidence, never lost focus on what we wanted to do,” Berger said. “That’s what makes this even better.”
The Jr. Bills won their first nine games before dropping a 2-1 decision to Vianney on Dec. 9.
Under first-year coach Jack Behan, SLUH improved steadily as the season went along before peaking in the playoffs.
“I can’t explain what a great feeling this is,” Winkelmann said.
De Smet (19-7-4) came on late and played well down the stretch with a semifinal round upset of CBC.
“A great season,” Spartans coach Christopher Durso said. “We’ve got 10 seniors who are going to go on and do great things. We are really proud of them.”
